After Sean's report of stripers on the outer Cape, I got to thinking about the No. Shore & PI. So, you No. Shore Gurus, how long do you think until we decent sized fish in numbers at the mouth of the Merrimack for example?

Also, on a related vien regarding the Chart/White clouser for early season fishing, How do most people fish them? For bay & estuary fishing it seems to me that a sinking line (QD-325) would be over-kill on top of the weighted fly, is this so? I would think that an Intermediate is more in order? However, in deep rips and/or strong current the sinking line, weighted fly combo would make sense. It is probably obvious from my statements that I have not done a lot of clouser fishing. So, a basic 101-type description of technique & strategy would be helpfull. What does the Pope of Clouser fishing say?? Thanks in advance!

For choosing fly and line types I consider two things: 1. The depth I want to fish and 2. The speed of the retrieve. (Current increases the speed of your retrieve in relative terms.) If I'm fishing shallower waters I will generally not use a sinking line but if I want a fast retrieve near the bottom a sinking line and weighted fly is the way to go. I have learned to not be shy about switching my spools around to match the conditions. It only takes a few moments and the payoff can be great.

Greg, I lived in Rockport for 15 years and an old Folly Cover always said when the lilacs bloom look for the stripers. Some of my favorite spots where: behind Nichols candy, half and half Clousers deep- watch out for the mud- the creek at Good harbor beach I know its early for sand eels but try them they workedon the out going tide - sorry guys but off cathedral rock nothing works better than a live pollack under a balloon. Anybody got a pollack pattern?
They are coming and soon.
Jim O

Yup me, raising his hand and going ooh, ooh. I got a pollack pattern. About Folly Cove. I've been fishing there occasionally. Not with my new gear or technique. Now that's a quick descent line situation.
What do you think of off the rocks past the restaurant? I've fished there a few times and caught pollack on the fly. Any big stripers hanging round below?

Now that the fish are blasting through the canal it won't be long. Squid are reported in Plymouth, and Boston Harbah should be coming alive any day now.

As far as reliable fishing, I always use Father's Day as a general date to start thinking about north shore stripers. Of course they show early but reliable wading trips start in early June from my experiences.

It might be a good idea to listen for the Salem Harbor guides to start tooting their horns and the Merrimac will be right behind it.

Terry, Which way from the restaurant towards the point or into the cove ? Towards the point we used to see fish racing back and forth in so tight to the rocks everybody was almost lifting their plugs out of the water before the fish got to them. I used depth charge lines and weighted flies -I tied them with lead ,work the current and stay in close,Cabala's crayfish flies can be deadly off the pier if they'll let you fish there anymore. Into the cove the bass will drive bait onto the beach or into the little hole in the wall on the Lanesville side. If you have a boat the stretch from Plum Cove to Folly Cove IMHO is hotter than Bass Rocks any day. How I miss cold deep water &gt; I still haven't figured out Buzzards Bay yet-shallow and warm - yuck
Jim O